AsylumConnect catalog

“Where can I go for shelter?”, “Where can I get my next meal?”, “How can I take care of my mental health?”, “Where can I find social support?” – these are the lifesaving questions that the AsylumConnect catalog is designed to answer. This high-impact tech product allows LGBTQ asylum seekers to access providers specializing in these wraparound services in one convenient, online location.

On February 21st, 2017, AsylumConnect, a fiscally sponsored nonprofit, released version 3.0 of its resource catalog for the city of Philadelphia. The AsylumConnect catalog is the first online, centralized resource database for LGBTQ asylum seekers in the U.S.

Every year, thousands of LGBTQ people coming from one of the 73 countries where it is still illegal to be gay, seek asylum in the U.S. – yet upon their arrival in the U.S., many LGBTQ asylum seekers continue to lack the information necessary to meet their most fundamental human needs.

The AsylumConnect catalog aims to fills this gap by providing vital access to information. This access to information empowers LGBTQ asylum seekers to safely integrate in the U.S.

The capacity for users to filter their search by required documentation (photo ID, proof of age, proof of residence, proof of income, medical insurance, a referral)

Improved mobile-friendly design

The introduction of open-sourced code and accompanying community contribution guidelines

During this expansion to Philadelphia, AsylumConnect will continue to test and observe its catalog model to inform future iterations.

Local service providers interested in learning more about AsylumConnect and how the AsylumConnect catalog can be used directly by providers to help gather referrals for LGBTQ asylum clients, should email the AsylumConnect team at: [email protected].

Students, young professionals, and local activists interested in joining the AsylumConnect team should visit: http://www.asylumconnect.org/join-our-team/.

Local press/media requests can be directed to Favio, AsylumConnect Director of Marketing and Publicity, at: [email protected].

In today’s increasingly interconnected world, how do we prepare our children – and ourselves – to succeed and to become happy, informed global citizens?

A mother of three, Homa Sabet Tavangar has 25+ years’ experience helping governments create the conditions to spur global competitiveness, advising businesses on how to thrive abroad, talking to parents on raising global citizens, and training K-12 to adult educators on building global competencies and bringing the world into their classrooms.

In 1972, UNESCO adopted the “Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage”, which provided for the inscription of natural or cultural sites on a “World Heritage List.” Numerous such sites have been inscribed on the list in succeeding decades, including a relatively modest number of sites in the United States. The sites in the U.S. have tended to be in the category of natural sites. One significant exception is Independence Hall.